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Wallace replied: "It means a lot hearing these words. You are the love of my life. God does not make a mistake in this. I love you with all my heart."

The couple planned to cook dinner together when Mark returned to work, but that evening he went out to see his new girlfriend Violet Farquharson, the court heard.

The pair argued when he returned to Wallace's flat in Bristol, at 10pm and she told him she would stay in a hotel that night, the court heard.

But at 3am, Wallace returned to the flat and tossed a glass of acid over Mark, who was lying in bed wearing just his boxer shorts, it is alleged.

He ran out into the street screaming where horrified neighbours took him into a flat and got him to stand under a shower at the advice of paramedics.

Berlinah Wallace denies murder (Image: Copyright unknown)

Mark was rushed to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

Mr Vaitlingam said: "They could see Mark had severe burns - they said it looked as though he had had grey coloured paint poured over him and that the acid had burned through the top layer of skin.

"He kept saying he couldn't see and asked if he still had eyelids."

Police say they arrived to find Wallace sitting on the sofa in the living room and noted there was a glass beer mug on the floor next to a piece of cloth and what appeared to be an artist's paintbrush.

Mr Vaitlingam added: "The defendant was asked what the substance was that had injured Mark and she said 'Acid. I was using to to distress some fabric' and indicated to the glass, cloth and paintbrush on the floor."

A police officer who accompanied Mark in the ambulance recalled how he screamed in pain for the entire journey, and radioed ahead to ask for officers to visit Violet.